Dummies Guide to Game Of Thrones

Season 6 of the world’s most popular television series started out less than a week ago and we can see fans dwelling on the madness and frenzy the series has caused. From the biggest cliffhangers to a lot of deaths (we mean A LOT) and to dragons and magic, Game Of Thrones is an action packed, fantasy tale set in medieval times.

Now obviously, there are two types of the people in the world.

The ones who watch Game Of Thrones and the ones who don’t.

This one’s for the one’s who don’t. Here’s an entire dummies guide to Game Of Thrones minus spoilers.

There are more or less three stories that are interrelated, going on at the same time. The world of GoT is divided into four landmasses, but our main focus (as of now) is on two of them – Westeros and Essos. Everybody – and I mean, literally everybody – is fighting everyone else to gain control of the entire landmass of Westeros.

One part of the story portrays the noble Stark family dealing with conspiracy and court politics in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, with particular emphasis on Eddard Stark, the father and leader of the family.

A third story follows Jon Snow, the illegitimate son of Eddard Stark, as he grows up in the north of Westeros. He is in the special military order called the Night’s Watch, which is dedicated to protecting the civilised Seven Kingdoms from the dangers beyond the Wall.

The North is the largest of the seven kingdoms. The region is ruled by our heroes, the Starks (Ned, Robb, Sansa, Arya, and everyone else who is good), from their castle, Winterfell. The kingdom is vast, thinly populated, with lots of forests, plains, and small villages. There are two geographic boundaries. The region is extremely cold, sometimes snowing even in summer. Bastards are called “Snow.”

Essos is the largest continent, and the weather grows hotter the more south you go. Daenerys is the main protagonist on this land. The land is divided into many distinct regions.

To the East lies the vast, dead, grassland called Dothraki Sea. It is inhabited by the Dothraki people, headed by their Khals. Then you have Slaver’s Bay, that contains the slave cities of Yunkai, Mereen, and Astapor(land of the Unsullied, where Daenerys is). To the extreme east, you have Qarth, from where hail the warlocks who have been trying hard to kill Daenerys. East and south even to this are mysterious lands, most notably Asshai, from where hails Melisandre. (The Red Woman).

In the North, after thousands of years of disappearance, the Others are back. The War of Five Kings (Robb, Joffrey, Stannis, Renly, Balon Greyjoy) is raging. In the East, Daenerys is using her dragons and amassing an army to return to Westeros and reclaim her throne.

A lot of things happen. Jon Snow becomes a sworn brother of the Night’s Watch, Sansa is engaged to Joffrey, And Daenerys is married off to a Dothraki lord by her older brother Vicerys in exchange for an army.

Now we’d explain the rest but they’d all be spoilers. So let’s talk about the characters we need to know.

1) Eddard Stark

Eddard is the head of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount and Warden of the North, and Hand of the King to Robert I Baratheon. He is the older brother of Benjen, Lyanna and the younger brother of Brandon Stark. He’s the father of Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon by his wife, Catelyn Tully, and to Jon Snow, his bastard son by an unknown mother. Ned Stark is an honourable Lord and a truly dedicated husband and father. He’s a good guy.

Catelyn is from House Tully and married into House Stark. She is a devoted mother and is fiercely protective of her children. Catelyn has some independent political influences. A former ward of her father’s, Petyr Baelish, known as “Littlefinger”, is the king’s master of coin and one of his closest advisers in King’s Landing.

Daughters of Catelyn and Ned, the two of them are a not to be reckoned with. While Sansa likes being all dressed up and dreams about being queen, Arya on the other hand practices sword-fighting and everything else that doesn’t involve dressing up. She’s a total badass.

Finally. Jon Snow is Ned Stark’s bastard son and is despised by his step-mother Catelyn. He is very close to his half siblings Robb, Bran, and Arya. He’s the reason all of the Stark children have their own direwolves and he is one of the greatest characters on the show— and he knows everything. The latest episodes proved that. Jon is a sworn brother of the Night’s Watch and later on becomes the Lord Commander of the Watch beyond the Wall. He loves his direwolf who he named ‘Ghost’ and has accompanied him to the watch. He is playing a very huge role in the sixth season.

Exiled Princess, Mother of Dragons, Wife to Khal Drogo of the Dothraki’s. She is the younger sister of Viserys Targaryen (who is evil) and the youngest child of King Aerys II Targaryen, who was ousted from the Iron Throne during Robert’s Rebellion. On the night Daenerys was born on Dragonstone, a vast storm raged. For this reason, she is sometimes called “Daenerys Stormborn. She’s too badass to be real.

Tywin Lannister was the head of House Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, Lord Paramount of the Westerlands, Hand of the King for three different kings, and Protector of the Realm. He is the father of Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion Lannister, and grandfather of Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen Baratheon. He’s badass too.

Cersei is the only daughter and eldest child of Joanna Lannister and Lord Tywin Lannister. Cersei is the elder twin of Ser Jaime Lannister and the elder sister of Tyrion Lannister. She was raised in privilege in the family seat of Casterly Rock. She’s the mother to Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen Baratheon. She is noted for her great beauty.

He is a knight of the Kingsguard, the eldest son of Tywin Lannister, younger twin brother of Queen Cersei Lannister, and older brother of Tyrion Lannister. Previously he served in the Kingsguard of Aerys II Targaryen and, infamously, betrayed and killed Aerys during the Sack of King’s Landing, earning him the sobriquet “Kingslayer”.

Easily one of the best characters to have been created. Tyrion Lannister is the youngest son of Lord Tywin Lannister and younger brother of Cersei and Jaime Lannister. A dwarf, he uses his wit and intellect to overcome the prejudice he faces. He is the younger brother of Jaime and Cersei Lannister. His mother Joanna Lannister died giving birth to him. His father and sister hold him in contempt as they blame him for the death.

Brother to Myrcella and Tommen, Joffrey Baratheon, he is usually accompanied by his sworn shield, the formidable Sandor Clegane, better known as the Hound. Even before he ascends to the Iron Throne, Joffrey is spoiled, arrogant, cowardly, and sadistic. He’s Cersie’s son and over-indulged and did we mention cruel?

Robert Baratheon was the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, formally styled as Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. He took the throne through conquest in the war known as Robert’s Rebellion. Robert was a great warrior in his youth. He killed Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, at the Battle of the Trident. After the war, Robert married Cersei Lannister to cement an alliance with House Lannister to hold the kingdoms together, but the marriage was loveless.

Theon is the youngest son of Lord Balon and Lady Alannys Greyjoy. The Iron Islands are one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms and House Greyjoy is one of the Great Houses of the realm. Theon was treated well by the Starks, and he came to see Eddard as a surrogate father, while becoming best friends with Robb Stark.

We’d name a few more but we’d rather not spoil the fun. There’s a week until the third episode of Season Six premieres, ample amount of time to binge watch the show, if you ask us. We hope the dummies guide helped you understand the gist of the story so good luck watching it! We’re sure you’re going to love it.